Utakata Sews
by reid-my-lips
Summary: A sweet little one-shot about Utakata and Hotaru. Short and fluffy fic about them on a typical day...well, a typical day with with Utakata sewing. Spawned from a roleplay with keomixd from Tumblr. T for light language. Utakata x Hotaru


[Author's Note]

So the premise of this deserves some explanation.

I run an Utakata RP blog on Tumblr (transientbubbles), and I've been roleplaying with a Hotaru (keomixd). We started talking on kik, and I was hand sewing a haori for my Haku cosplay.

Then I said this:

"OH MY FUCK I SEWED MY SLEEVE BACKWARDS"

She replied IC, we RPed for a bit, then I edited and expanded it into this. Who would've thought?

Enjoy! Please Read and Review!

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Utakata Sews

Utakata slammed his palm into his forehead, clutching blue fabric and a needle in his other hand.

"OH MY FUCK." he groaned in frustration. "I SEWED MY SLEEVE ON BACKWARDS."

Hotaru, who was playing hop-scotch on the pond surface, chuckled at his plight.

"That's funny, Utakata-sama."

Utakata glared.

"It is not!" he yelled back. He waved the cloth in the air, pointing at his bare chest. "Can't you see my yukata is broken?"

The man was trying to sew it back together, but he wasn't getting far. He typically dealt with things that _made_bubbles, not popped them. Nevertheless, rather than take it to a seamstress, he was trying to fix it himself.

The blonde girl blushed at the sight of her half-dressed master and looked away.

"I can sew it if you'd like."

_Or rather..._

"No!"

_Insisted._

"I can do it myself!" he shouted, angrily sewing faster. The dark-haired man, lazy as he was, was fiercely independent. He really hated having others do things for him. It was an odd twist to his personality.

"Fine." she said, walking away. "Do it yourself, then." She made a show of splashing the water with every step.

"I will!" he yelled, calling after her. He held up his yukata. "See!? I'm already half-way done!"

"I would have done it faster～ " she teased, her voice sing-song. She giggled a bit. Utakata stuck his tongue out at her.

"Well..." he started, trying to think of a retort. "...I can blow better bubbles than you!"

"Maybe if you taught me something I could be better!" she yelled back. Utakata was about to develop a twitch.

"Students shouldn't sass their masters." he shouted back. He 'hmph'ed loudly, continuing to mend his garment.

Perhaps his voice was a bit more cutting than he'd meant it.

"You're so mean, Master." she said, hot tears forming in her eyes. She ran to the edge of the pond, jumping off and entering the Tsuchigumo house. She closed the door behind her, locking it.

"Oh Christ."

The man rolled his eyes and threw down his yukata, getting to his feet. He sighed deeply and followed the girl, knocking on the door.

"Hotaru..." he called, leaning on the door frame. "Come on out... I'm sorry..."

Muffled sobs were audible, but the door opened, revealing the girl. Her face was streaked with tears.

"...You mean it?" she asked, wiping her eyes. Utakata took her in his arms, pressing her against his chest.

"Of course I do." he murmured. "I'd never try to make you cry."

He offered her a soft smile, brushing the last of her tears off her face. A small blush tinted her cheeks.

"Thank you, Utakata-sama." she whispered, smiling sweetly. His smile widened in response.

"Come on," he said, hoisting her up to cradle her in his arms. He began to walk them back to their tree. "Maybe we can train after I'm done sewing."

Her blush darkened.

"U-Utakata-sama... I can walk you know..."

He chuckled.

"That wouldn't be as fun, though, now would it?" he laughed. "And you don't have to call me that either."

"O-okay..." She leaned up, placing a gentle kiss on her master's cheek. "Thank you...for apologizing."

Utakata's eyes widened, taken by surprise. A light pink dusted across his cheeks.

"Y-you're welcome." His voice was soft and gentle.

A few moments passed, and for the dark-haired man, the world grew very awkward. Hotaru didn't seem to notice.

"So what are we going to learn today, Master?" she asked, ripe with enthusiasm. The man hummed in thought.

"I don't know," he said, laying her next to his half mended yukata. "Another Suiton?" he suggested. He picked up the needle and cloth, and Hotaru frowned.

"I wanted to learn the bubbles..." she whined, pouting her lower lip. Utakata shot her a look, pointing the needle at her.

"Take what you're given, firefly. I'll teach you eventually."

She narrowed her eyes skeptically, looking back to the pond where he taught her 'Mizuranpa', her first higher level jutsu. She later learned that it was an attempt to halt her efforts, that it was highly unlikely that she would have an affinity for water...but she did. It was one of the things that made her certain that she and Utakata were destined to live as master and disciple.

But he was reluctant.

"No you won't..." she muttered. The man continued to sew, finishing the seam he was working on.

"Yes I will." he said plainly, knotting the thread. He drew out a single-edged kunai and trimmed off the excess. "I promise."

Hotaru opened her mouth to protest, but Utakata held up a single finger, hushing her. He shifted his legs to rise to his feet, standing. He bent over to pick up the garment and supplies, offering her a smile as he did.

"I'll be right back."

The thin man folded the fabric over his arm, striding down the hill and across the pond to the house. He entered, sliding the door shut behind him. After peering through the window shade to verify Hotaru's whereabouts, he turned the garment right-side-out and laid it out on his floor mat.

Inside-out and unsewn, the differences were hard to see —but they were clear when the yukata was laid out before him, completed. The embroidered bubbles decorating the front. The distinctly smaller size.

Utakata smiled, admiring his handiwork for a brief moment before folding it carefully and carrying it to the chest of drawers that sat against the wall. He opened the drawer closest to the floor and placed the garment inside, laying it next to a matching obi. A bamboo tube and pipe were tucked in the corner, and the man took care not to damage them as he shut the drawer.

A smile was on his face as he fished his own yukata out of its hiding place, slipping it over his shoulders and loosely tying the belt before heading out to rejoin his student.

Yes, he would teach her in time.

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[Author's Note]

So, did you like it? It's just a one-shot, so I'm marking it as complete. But if you guys like it, I may start writing more UtaHota.


End file.
